Barcelona's Palau Martorell to host more than 180 works by Andy Warhol

The Palau Martorell in Barcelona will host more than 180 works by Andy Warhol from November 13 to April 4, 2027, in an exhibition marking the 40th anniversary of the artist's death.

'Andy Warhol: Pop Icons' brings together paintings, screen prints, drawings, polaroids, photographs and acetate films drawn from private collections that have rarely been seen by the public.

The show is organized in eight thematic sections, which, rather than following a strict chronological order, reflect the circular nature of Warhol's art and how he revisited the same themes over the decades.

Warhol is most famous for how he repeated images until the repetition itself became the meaning. The idea was to erase the divide between art and pop culture, thereby highlighting the ways in which the two interact. 

Visitors will see his famous Campbell soup cans, the symbol of the commodification of art, as well as his many portraits of famed celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Liz Taylor, Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson, Grace Jones, Valentino and Amani.

The exhibition continues with a selection of polaroids that Warhol used to capture his subjects before transferring their faces to canvases. 

Visitors will also find album covers designed by Warhol, among them 'The Velvet Underground & Nico' and the Rolling Stones' 'Love You Live.' Another section explores his connection to spirituality and his roots.

Born an immigrant in 1928 Pittsburgh, Warhol was raised in an environment deeply rooted in religious tradition. He moved to New York in 1949, where he helped create one of the most radical transformations in the history of modern art. 

He invented the concept of the artist-entrepreneur, turned his studio into the celebrated Factory, and made fame and mass culture the raw material of his work, thereby giving shape to Pop Art.

The Palau Martorell and Artemisia produced and organized the exhibition in collaboration with Art Motors. It is curated by Edoardo Falcioni and Lola Durán Úcar.

Tickets start at €16 and the exhibition is open daily from 10 am to 8 pm, with last entry at 7 pm. For more information visit palaumartorell.com.